Bluerose socks (FO)

Yesterday I went to the local CFS clinic. This was a very scary trip for me; I've been very tired for the last 15 months for no obvious reason, and while I really want to know why, I did not want to have CFS.
Turns out that I don't (I don't fulfil enough of the criteria for it), which simply means we still don't know what is wrong with me, but I needed all my strength, and wore my Bluerose Socks to my appointment.
Let's talk about socks now!

Technical details
Ravelry project page
Pattern: Blackrose socks (Knitty|Ravelry)
Yarn: Organic Cotton Sock yarn, by YarnAddict Anni
Needles: 2.5mm dpns
Notes: Very quick pattern, and very easy repeat. I really enjoyed making these socks. The heel was fun to turn.
The yarn is an absolute dream, unbelievably soft. It does shed, though, and my toes were fuzzy and blue when I finally took the socks off. But it doesn't matter. I want to fill a bathtub with this yarn and bathe in it.

I used a modified version of Under Dutch Skies' Anatomically correct toes, but without actually tracing my feet. I decreased 1 stitch every other row on the pinky side until I had done a quarter of the decreases, and then decreased 1 stitch every other row on the big toe, and 1 stitch every row on the pinky. There were some adjustments on the decreases to make all the decreases fit nicely on the length of the toe, but that was the jest of it.
     


My socks and I are ready to go to work!

Balcony progress shoot

Stressful things need to be offset by showing off pretty things.

My Hanami Stole. I still have one or two more basket weave repeats to go, but it's slowly growing.

Elena's cowl. It's only missing weaving in the ends, and blocking. You may recall I started making this to reach her after not having talked to her for months. I've still not contacted her, because it's totally scary. But I have her cowl. I hope to give it to her before winter.

The second of the Bluerose socks. I'm halfway down the heel flat. It really is a quick pattern.


I'm also putting together a small pattern for the brain, which fills me with excitement. A pattern! Mine! Even if so small.

Two steps forward, one step back

Two steps forward

Finished off the first of my Bluerose socks, complete with anatomically correct toes.

Bound off the top of Elena's Ice Queen. Once I actually read the instructions properly, it was all much easier.

One step back

This weekend, I discovered that Demeter was not as finished as I thought. That centre split for the neckline is not centred, so there is some unravelling to do. I don't yet know what happened: current options are me messing up the counting or choosing the number for the wrong size (or something excitingly different).

Two steps forward

I have two specialist referrals to deal with my tiredness problems.

I have new meds to try. They may not work, but at least I'm doing something rather than waiting for the appointments to materialise themselves.

One step back

Anxiety is creeping back, and it just makes everything more difficult. The tiredness doesn't help it, and everything has the potential to overwhelm.

At least I'm still ahead on the game!

A trip, a strange car, and some knitting

I returned from my family visit with most of my sanity intact, and some knitting. Hurrah! Pass the champagne!

I find family visits very stressful, as criticism and bickering (or complete silence) are the preferred way of communication, but I think I did quite well this time round. Not *everything* I do was completely wrong! Having my own copy of the Dysfunctional Family Bingo as a lifeline also helped (my own card was based on this one).

I did eat delicious delicious food (although I found myself missing veggies by the end of the 4 day trip), and got lots of knitting done (not counting all the travelling, the 5 hr car trips will do that). And saw strange cars.

On the knitting front, I finished most of Demeter. It needs to be checked for size, though. Demeter's construction, bottom-up with a provisional cast-on, allows for knitting extra if it's too short. I normally knit my tops too short, so I think I may do this from now on with all of them, provided the body is stockinette (see the TECHKnitter's explanation on why only stockinette).


The 5 hour car journey was mainly devoted to knitting socks. I had done the ribbing on the plane, and I managed to do 10 pattern repeats on the car: 2 that I had to rip, and the 8 needed for the leg. We reached our final destination as I was getting to the start of the heel.

This sock is going incredibly fast, and the yarn, cotton sock yarn from YarnAddict, is a dream: one of the softest yarns I've worked with. I'm really enjoying knitting them.